Ganbare Nippon - Japan Quake Relief 2011

On March 11th, 2011, just off the shores of Japan, a massive earthquake rocked the Pacific Ocean. Reports were unclear in the immediate aftermath and we watched, helplessly unable to act, as the tragedy unfolded before our eyes. The sheer magnitude of its force grew with each news report. The sheer impact of the destruction that followed was, and remains, incomprehensible.

But even amidst the confusion, the sense of disbelief, and of the ever mounting toll this disaster will have upon the people of Japan, much is clear to us. The people of Japan need our help. People need your help.

Now we act.

Right now you will find a charity wristband for sale in the Bungie Store. All proceeds from the sale of these wristbands will be donated directly to Red Cross aid and relief efforts that will desperately be needed in the days, weeks, and months ahead. In addition, we will donate all of the profits from all Bungie Store purchases until April 30th, 2011.

The characters embossed on the band hold many meanings in Japanese. “Ganbare Nippon” is a sentiment expressed when someone needs spirit lifted. It is a show of support and a call for unity. For us, it is a hopeful expression. Hope that our aid and support will find its way to heavy hearts, and that our community message will have a positive impact upon deserving people in their time of need. Hope that we too may come together, regardless of our differences and our location upon this earth, and unite ourselves to the benefit of all.

Help us spread this message. Copy this link into the communities you visit. Ask your family, friends, and those you game with to get involved in any way they can in support of Japan Quake Relief 2011. We cannot undo the damage that has been caused, but we are not helpless. We are united. And together, we will make a difference.

Note: Due to the nature of this item, we wanted to make sure we could ship internationally, but please be aware that you cannot add additional items to your cart when purchasing the wristband for international delivery.

As part of Halo’s transition to Microsoft management, Bungie Pro will soon be going dark. On September 15th, we’ll stop offering the current 6-month subscriptions, and full support will be phased out around March 22nd, 2012.

What happens after September?

Bungie Pro Video will only be offered in pay-as-you-go form, via the Render Minute Packs available through Bungie.net, and you’ll no longer need to be a Pro member to buy them.

More information about the last time to use up your minutes will be available after that March date, but you’ll have until then for sure.

We will NOT be removing Pro features, including expanded File Shares or Bungie Pro Nameplates for any Pro accounts that expire after 9/15, and Microsoft has let us know that once that last Pro subscriptions have expired they intend to allow you to retain your 24 File Share slots.

Xbox LIVE Security has notified us of an internet creeper who's registered a fake website to try and trick you into divulging your personal information. Bungie will never ask you for your account credentials and you should never divulge your personal information, especially to online asshats.

Anything that requires, sign-in (including forums, private groups and messaging, etc.) will be offline for a few hours today while our online team performs some "scheduled maintenance." Remember that cheeseburger you stuffed under the couch cushion? Yeah, we have to clean that up.

As soon as our systems are back online and fully functioning, we'll let you know. Until then, please continue to stare blankly into your monitors.

edit: As "a few" people might have noticed in the past several hours, we're fully-functional again.

If you’re interested in spilling your guts about your gameplay habits, the possibility of learning about our next game first, or even being recruited for bona fide beta testing, you should participate by clicking “Beta Tester Signup” from the Games menu above, or by clicking on the fancy new status bar in your Bungie.net profile.

We're totally sorry that your rendered videos are moving at a snail's pace. We ran into some technical difficulties over the weekend, and while we've our online team got everything all fixed up, it is going to take a little while before things are moving at optimal levels again. The Hydra is chewing through a sizable backlog right now.